The Shattering
by qsmadness007
Summary: Vicki gets a new client, a Vicktor Conrad who used to know Henry over a hundred years ago. Apparently Conrad decides to go on a rampage, and innocent people are hurt in the process.Warning : This story deals with death of some minor characters
1. Chapter 1 Section A

I don't want to be this wide-awake / Fighting for a love that I can't save MeatLoaf // Did I Say That?

Darkness fell through like drops of rain into the window of the living room which belonged to the detective with the rumpled tie. He wasn't even paying attention to the blond who was halfway across the room, closing the blinds a millimeter at a time.

She had been trying for an hour to get his attention, but he was so absorbed in his thoughts. He had barely moved or barely breathed since she had let herself into the apartment. She had keys from what now seemed like a previous life though it wasn't that long ago.

His once brilliant blue eyes now seemed forlorn and lackluster, and the brown leather chair that he sat in seemed to make him appear small. She remembered though when it seemed to fit his 6'1" frame perfectly. It was weird to see him now looking almost like the smallest doll in a set of Russian Nesting dolls.

She dropped the blind completely with a sigh. She watched him a moment as she slide onto the arm of the worn green couch, she let herself slide to the closest cushion. She looked around the room boredly, as she draped her legs over the arm of the chair. Her gaze didn't really fall on anything; she knew the layout of this room like she did one of her own. It was a small room, with barely enough room to fit the tables, the sofa, the chair and the two lamps. The lamps had always reminded her of mushrooms with their heavy white bases, and their glass shades. They were both push lamps, and the man had only turned on the one closest to him to the first setting.

She was tempted to make the room brighter, more for her sake than his, but she decided against it. He might get mad and actually kick her out.

She looked down at her gray cashmere sweater, and looked for imaginary lint. "Mike," she said softly, her green eyes peeking at him over her small glasses.

His whole body seemed to let out a great sigh, though he didn't open his mouth. He moved with the slightest turn of his body so that his body was turned away from her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into the room, not sure he heard it.

He probably did and was ignoring her like he had the last 100 times she had said those two words.  
---  
Two days prior, at 2am Henry Fitzroy sat outside on the edge of the well lit Hilton pool. He was wearing a pair of light blue designer swim trunks, and had pulled his usual wavy brown hair away from his face into a slick ponytail. Private Investigator Vicki Nelson sat next to him, wearing a matching blue swimsuit. (They hadn't known before tonight that they had swimsuits from the same line.) Her blond hair was pulled back, and she watched Henry through her glasses.

Water dripped off both of them, and they were waiting for the third member of their group to show up before they decided to take another dip in the cool pool. Henry was sitting still, almost stoic, and Vicki was swinging her feet in the water to a classical music piece that had been stuck in her head for three days.

"It's not like your little cop friend to be late," Henry's gaze stayed at the other end of the pool.

"I'm so tempted one day to lock you both in the same room for a week," She chided playfully.

He turned to her with a wicked grin, "I would probably eat him."  
Her whole face became a frown as he said that. She turned away from him. She was trying to think of a snappy comeback. She couldn't think of one in less than a minute, so she gave up on it for now knowing a late snappy comeback was no good.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, just stared out into the water of the pool. She couldn't take the silence for more than three minutes, when they had been having such a good time before. "He said he might be late, he's at Molly's babysitting Dylan while she is out on a date."

He turned to glance at her for a moment with a confused look on his face. "That must suck having to see your ex go out on a date."

Vicki shrugged; Mike hadn't told her how he had felt about it. "I think he is happy to spend time with his son." She invented knowing that it was probably true.

"You want to go swimming again while we wait?" Henry asked.

"Okay, but no sneaking up behind me like last time." She took her glasses off, putting them on the concrete and let herself glide quickly into the water.

He followed her millisecond later without saying anything they started a race to the other side of the pool. When they got back to where they had been sitting, they noticed a figure crouched by the side of the pool.

"Mike?" Vicki asked as she reached for her glasses and pulled herself out of the pool. She could barely see him through the chlorine that had managed to make itself in her eyes.

His clothing seemed to be smeared in something reddish and slimy, which had a sort of metallic scent to it.

Henry knew what the red slime was so he stayed in the pool, away from Mike.

"What's wrong?" Vicki asked softly touching Mike's shoulder. She tried to squint to focus on him more.

Mike pulled himself away from her with an almost bitterness. He glared evilly at Henry. "I thought you said your vampire friend was a pathetic newbie who didn't hurt anyone." He was referring to a client of Vicki's who had said he was a friend of the Vampire in the pool. "You said we could trust him. I knew I had no reason to trust your kind."

Mike began to walk away from them, not wanting to have anything to do with Vicki or Henry.

Vicki got up and followed him. "What are you talking about?" She asked, reaching him and grabbing his shoulder.

He spun around, his eyes full of hatred, "Your new client just killed my ex-wife and my son." He said and charged off into the darkness.

Vicki spun to the direction of Henry, who had now gotten out of the pool. "What does he mean Vicktor Conrad killed his ex-wife and son?"

Henry didn't say anything, knowing there wasn't really a good answer for that question. "I don't know, but I think we better find out what the hell is going on."


	2. Chapter 1 Section b

I don't want to be this wide-awake / Fighting for a love that I can't save MeatLoaf // Did I Say That?

Henry and Vicki raced back to her office as fast as they could, after quickly changing into regular clothing. Henry wished that cabs could move at super sonic speed, but that didn't happen.

Until they started flying up the stairs, Vicki had remained eerily silent. "I can't believe how a day going so well, can instantly turn into chaos." She was talking more to herself than to Henry. Earlier that day, she had got a check for C$5,000 for doing an hour of work last week, and then she thought Vicktor Conrad had come in with an interesting case. He was looking for someone who had gone missing. It had all seem legit several hours ago, and there was no inkling in her mind at the time that apparently there was something very dangerous and wrong about Conrad. What hurt the most was that Mike and Henry had almost started to get along after so long circling each other looking for weaknesses. Mike had been the one that suggested the swimming, he thought that it would be a good way to relax them, plus he wanted to try to put that whole Javier Mendoza incident behind them.

Vicki had no idea what she was going to do now, or what the next few days would hold for them all.

Henry was watching Vicki closely; she had drifted to a place in her head. Every time he started to say something to her, he wondered if she even remembered that he was there. She didn't even give the slightest inclination that she had heard any of the statements he had made in the last twenty minutes or so. He wasn't even sure if Vicki had realized that Mike had been covered in blood. He was sure the chlorine had been messing with her limited eyesight. He was sure if Vicki had noticed she would have asked Mike about it, or at least commented on it on the ride over.

The office was quiet, but Henry sensed danger. He knew before Vicki flicked on the lights that a man with slicked back red hair, and wearing a black suit that seemed tailored to his every single measurement.

Vicktor Conrad smiled an almost devilish smile at them, which seem false for his face. "I was wondering where you guys were. I figured Mike told you about my little present for him." He laughed hollowly.

Vicki didn't comment, just started to lunge towards Vicktor, but Henry grabbed her before she did.

"You're a spunky one, I am surprise Henry didn't try to turn you." Vicktor laughed.

Henry growled at him. He was tempted to tell Vicki to leave, and he would take care of Vicktor, but he knew he couldn't do that. "You never were my friend." He barked, his eyes glowing.

At that moment, Vicki's cell phone went off.

"I found the person I was looking for, left the money on your desk." Vicktor said before throwing down a small bottle which produced a puff of smoke, and he was gone into the night.

Vicki snapped open her phone. "What!!!"

"Vicki, This is Dave Graham, Have you seen Mike tonight?" The voice had a very professional tone to it, and Vicki dropped her anger for a second.

"I saw him for a brief moment."

"I guess I don't need to tell you what happened then, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Vicki felt herself crashing for some reason, and Henry seeing this led her to the couch. "Okay."

"I'll be over there in a few minutes."

---  
It took thirty minutes for Vicki and Henry to get through all the information about Vicktor Conrad and their brief encounter with Mike earlier tonight. Henry did most of the talking because Vicki found herself crying.

She didn't want to, she felt she didn't deserve to. She should try to find Mike and comfort him, but she wasn't sure she was going to find Mike. She didn't know where to look though; there was nothing in the Mike Celluci file in her mind that told her how to handle him when he saw a vampire kill his wife and child.

Vicki had dealt with victims before, but she never thought she was very good at it.

Dave had told her all the information that he could about the case, and then he had left. He had to figure out how to find Mr. Conrad. Neither Vicki nor Henry had clued the detective into the fact that Conrad was a vampire, but that would reveal too much about Henry. Plus, there wasn't any thing they could really saw to break him into the information where he would believe them. The only thing Henry thought would be good to tell him was that Vicktor was a very dangerous person, and also that he knew ways to get out of tight situations.

Henry was going to stay and comfort Vicki, but she kicked him out when the detective got up. The two males walked down the stairs together, the same purpose. They were going to track Vicktor Conrad down and make him pay. Though, Henry wasn't sure if his reason was because of Mike, because Vicktor had hurt Vicki, or because he just didn't want to have to deal with another vampire on his turf. Especially one so inept as Vicktor.


	3. Chapter 2 Section A

I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers./ Faces and darkness separate us over and over. Sylvia Plath-- Mirror

His sleep was mostly dreamless, but he did manage to have one dream. This is what the dream was…Mike can see himself sitting un a bedroom that appeared to only be composed of a large four poster bed with red satin sheets, and red silk draping on the wall. For some reason, Mike can see his head, but also notices his body was that of a fly. He is staring into the room, as if expecting pending doom.

Vicki suddenly appears on the bed, wearing nothing but a silk teddy. Her blond hair is down, and seems to be flowing for miles behind her. 

Henry swoops in from the left side of the room, wearing only a pair of red leather pants. He takes these off in one move, almost as if he had studied at Chippendale. Vicki and Henry begin to kiss, sliding to the center of the bed.

Henry pulls off her teddy carefully, leaving a trail of kisses on the bare skin as it appears. When he pulls it off completely, she is wearing nothing underneath, and her skin seems to have an almost iridescent glow.

Henry tugs at her pink nipples with his fangs, playfully. This causes Vicki to arch her back and let out an earth shattering moan. Henry moves his head slightly, and bites down hard on her breast.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Mike finds himself screaming, but the two don't pay attention. Mike feels the drapery around him began to turn to blood and he feels himself falling for an eternity. During the fall, his body begins to regain his own form, and a fly flies above him escaping from the bottomless pit.

He lands with a loud thud. Mike pulls himself up, trying not to slide in the ocean of blood he seems to be standing in. The blood seems to seep into the floor enough where he can see that he is standing in the middle of his ex-wife's study. It had always seemed to him like a warm cozy room with its light cherry wood furniture, and the fireplace on the back wall. It had been a room that he and Molly had spent many happy hours in, when they had been married, before things started going bad. Now, everything had a red tint to it.

A loud dark laughter starts behind him, and Mike turns to find Vicktor Conrad standing behind him. His eyes glow a hellish red, and his fangs gleaming. He is holding two circular objects in his hand. Vicktor set the two objects on a bookcase and Mike is suddenly aware that they are Molly's and Dylan's head. The heads begin to scream in pain.

Mike woke up screaming. It took him a few minutes to realize he was still in the shower. He pulled himself up quickly, using the faucet. It made his whole body ache, as it had decided to go to sleep in that weird position. He turned the water off, and grabbed the towel hanging over the shower rod.

---

Coreen Fennel had her recently dyed blue hair pulled back, and was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a flowing red blouse that had a sort of corset look to it. She had the white ear buds of her mp3 player in her ear and she wasn't noticing anything as she walked down the hallway humming.

She got to the door of Vicki's office and realized it was dark. It was 8am, so it was possible that Vicki was just having one of her late mornings. It seemed darker than it usually did though for some reason. She turned the door handle, it was unlocked, and so she went inside.

Coreen realized that heavy blackout stage curtains were drawn over all the windows, and she realized it had something to do with the dead looking vampire sleeping on the couch. Henry almost look cute, his back to her, except for the fact she couldn't see movement. But obviously, it would be weird if a vampire was breathing.

Vicki was curled up in a tight ball in front of the couch. She opened her eyes as Coreen closed the door. "Hi," She said sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She stood up, and stretched.

"So, we're going to let him sleep there, while clients come in?" Coreen asked, as she removed the headphones from her ears.

"No clients today. I rescheduled all the appointments." Vicki headed to where the coffee machine was, she definitely needed some caffeine at a time like this. She had remembered falling asleep in Henry's arm earlier that night clearly, what she couldn't remember was when she had crawled on the floor. Her whole body was protesting because of that mistake. She was surprised she had been able to sleep like that.

"Even for that guy Conrad, he seemed like a pretty interesting guy?" Coreen followed her to the other room.

Vicki blinked hard for a second, as she turned on the machine. She couldn't stand Coreen's cheerfulness, but then she remembered she hadn't actually called Coreen and let her know about what happened. Vicki didn't say anything for a few minutes, waiting for the coffee machine to start to drip in the pot. "Something happened last night, so we're closed today. Maybe tomorrow, we'll see how today goes."

"What happened?" Coreen's expression turned into a concerned frown.

Vicki shook her head a little. "I would rather not talk about it right now."


	4. Chapter 2 Section b

That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door. Seal // Crazy

Vicktor Conrad, known as Conrad to most, had set up shop in a small studio apartment which was actually several blocks from Henry Fitzroy's apartment. The only thing in the apartment was a desk with a desktop computer, and a chair, and a mattress on the floor. Conrad had installed blackout curtains all over the room, and had managed to steal an internet connection from one of the neighbors.  
His sleep had been troubled, and he was wondering as the sun began to set if maybe he should just sleep. Three hundred years ago when he had been turned no one knew that much about mental illnesses. He knew in the long run, that gave him no excuse for his violent tendencies. 

Honestly, he had a hard time forgetting people who hurt him. He had not meant to kill the Cellucis; he had been watching Vicki's office after he hired her. He really did hire her to find an ex-lover of his. Mike had come up the stairs of the office, and Conrad had melted for this strong man. He reminded him so much of the vampire Elise that turned him.

He had followed the man home, or to what he thought was the man's home. It had turned out to be the house of his ex-wife, Molly. Apparently, Mike was supposed to be babysitting their son. The lack of not drinking blood for a few days, and then the sudden sound of Molly yelling at Mike about not being there earlier when he knew that she had a date, had caused something in Conrad's head to snap. He had broken through the window, quickly killing Molly and Dylan.

Conrad had thought that this was going to have Mike become grateful for him. Conrad's experience with Andrew, the ex-lover that Conrad was looking for, should have told him that this was a bad idea. He should have expected the anger and the sorrow. It had hurt him when Mike had run out of the room, and Conrad knew he had lost him forever.

Conrad wished that he could just stop killing people, that he hadn't been turned into a vampire. His once pitiful mortal life became even more morose after he had been turned. No matter what he did, he could never get people to like him. And now on top of feeling shocked at his recent behavior, he had a headache and stomachache for drinking too much blood from the people he killed.

---  
As night fell, Henry pulled himself off the couch. The office was quiet, and Henry noticed a not for him on the coffee table.

Henry,  
Went to grab a bite with Coreen.  
-VN

He wondered if that was actually where she had gone, but he decided if she had gone somewhere else, she would tell him later if it was important. He was tempted to leave and do the normal kind of things that he did before he met Vicki, but the corner of his mind was nagging him he needed to do something.

He grabbed his coat off the back of Vicki's couch, and scribbled something on the note that Vicki had left. He walked out of the office, taking the stairs four as a time as he flew down them. He headed into the street, his mind on his mission not taking in his surroundings as he flew through the night.

Henry had a vague idea of where he was going, but he wasn't sure. He let his acute sense of smell guide him through the night. He got to an apartment building that had the strong sense of aging Chinese carryout, and justice. He knew this was the place. There was no doorman in the small lobby with the falling down wallpaper, so he got into the dilapidated elevator. He stared at the buttons for a moment, randomly pressing the key for the third floor.

As he got off the elevator, he knew his hunch had been right. He trailed down the hallway until he was standing in front of the door that he knew was Celluci's.

Henry figured he should knock. If the myth about vampires not being allowed to enter were true, this would be one of the apartments it would definitely apply to. Plus, Henry was sure if he just barged in that he would make things a hundred times worse. Henry knocked very lightly, tapping the door.

It took a few minutes before a puffy eyed Celluci opened the door. His strong anger and mourning present by his silent glare at the vampire. Mike wasn't in the mood to see anyone, especially the handsome vampire, who he was both attracted to and repulsed by. Mike's jaw clenched as he said, "I can't believe you showed up here!" Mike was under the assumption that Vicki had thought it might be easier if she sent Henry. He had no way of knowing, or even stopping to find out that the vampire came on his own.

"I just wanted---"

Mike didn't let him finish, he used all the anger and hate he had and directed it to punch Henry hard in the face.

Celluci slammed the door, and Henry could hear him crying on the other side. 

---  
Vicki was picking at a slice of cheese pizza tearing it into little pieces, and then putting them on the plastic plate in front of her.

Henry had fed after he left Mike's, came back into the office. He wiped a drop of blood of his mouth with his palm, as he took off his coat. "Where's Coreen?"

Vicki looked up at him in surprise, dropping the remains of the slice on the plate. "I sent her home after we picked up the pizza. I told her what happened, and also I wouldn't need her for a few days." Vicki dumped the pieces back into the box; she had already desiccated three of the eight pieces. She had wanted to eat to keep up her strength but hadn't had the heart to do it. "Did you have fun finding a victim?" Her tone was more stinging that she had intended.

Henry didn't say anything just sat beside her on the couch.

"I wish there was something I could do," She said mostly to herself as her body fell into a large sigh.

Henry reached to pull her into a hug, but she stubbornly pulled away. "I found out that the police have Conrad in custody, there is nothing you can do. I hope though if you go over and talk to Mike that he treats you differently than he treated me."

Vicki looked up at him with surprise; she couldn't believe he had gone over there. That is what she should have probably been doing that moping around the office all day. "What happened?"

"He punched me." Henry said in a tone that made no judgment of Mike's actions.


	5. Chapter 2 Section c

Not that you lied to me but that I no longer believe you - that has shaken me. Friedrich Nietzsche // Beyond Good and Evil

Mike Celluci punched the wall of his apartment. He couldn't believe that little Vampire Prince had come over here. He was sure Vicki had something to do with Henry coming over here, and he didn't like the fact she thought she couldn't come over here herself.

Oh, course he was angry, especially at her, but for one time in his life didn't he have ever right to be allowed to project all the emotions he was feeling. Mike felt himself sinking to his knees, the sobs that had been there since yesterday writhing through his body again. It had seemed in one night he had lost all the people that he loved, and he was probably on the verge of losing Vicki. But Mike thinks that it has been happening for awhile, she was starting to trust the vampire more than she trusted him.

Mike couldn't wait around anymore, for her to decide to be his friend, especially if she was going to trust that vampire. How could she trust that vampire, or any of the odd people she had been working with as of yet?

He looked up into the ceiling with despair, as if God could give him the answers right now to all that was plaguing him. His face fell after a couple seconds, the sobs leaving him it too hard to hold his head up. As his head came down, his eyes stopped on a picture of Dylan on the wall. It was taking when the boy had been two, and he was wearing a pumpkin costume that Molly had made for him.

Mike pulled it off the wall, clutching it tightly to his chest as if the picture was the only thing in the world that could save him. He didn't know he was doing it, but he started rocking on the floor as he held it. His mind trying to stop thinking of all the things that Dylan wasn't going to get to do. The boy had just turned 8 a few months ago; it seemed like such a blink of time. It was too short of a time for someone so pure.

---  
Vicki found herself sending Henry away, only a few minutes after he came back. She had been trying and trying, but she didn't feel she should be around people. The only person she should be around was Mike, but she wasn't sure if he hated her forever for bringing the whole supernatural element to his life.

She found herself sitting on the floor; doing something she hadn't done in who knows how long. She was sending a prayer up to God, repeating it over and over. "Please help Mike through this; please give him the comfort I can't give him."

Tears began to stream down her eyes, and the more she said the prayer the more she began to sob. Eventually, she couldn't say anything anymore and just let the sobs come hard.

Vicki thought of going to Henry to tell him she had made a mistake. She needed someone right now to hold her. He needed Henry to tell her everything was going to be okay, and that Conrad would pay for this. Her mind told her it wasn't right, since Mike was probably by himself in his agony.

She had called Mike's cell phone several times, as well as his home phone, but both seemed to be turned off. She didn't want to leave a message for him, because she honestly had no idea what to say.

Vicki had never felt so helpless in her life. Ever breathe she took seemed to make her feel 10lbs heavier.

---  
The interrogation room was a perfect gray cube with one small window which was probably a two way mirror. Conrad sat alone, handcuffed to the small metal table.

He had decided that he would mess with them by saying he would only talk to Mike Celluci. If that wasn't possible, he wanted a lawyer present. The black detective had been upset by him, and Conrad could tell by the anger in his eyes the mortal would just shoot Conrad if he could and leave it at that. He had left the room shortly after Conrad had made his demands.

Conrad knew he had no right to do that. He shouldn't play with mortals' emotions, but he couldn't help himself right now. He was scrambling for away to get out of this mess. He was sure once they knew he was a vampire, they would just throw him out into the sunlight, and let him die for what he had done.

The door opened, and Henry Fitzroy came into the room growling. He had stopped by earlier, and told Dave that if Conrad needed legal counsel, to call him. Both males knew that Fitzroy was not going to give Conrad any kind of counseling. And Dave, knowing Henry was a vampire, figured if something happened while Henry was with Conrad, he could feign ignorance. No one was going to investigate if something happened to the person who killed a cop's family.

"Conrad," Henry said with a growl, making sure the video camera in the room was turned off.

"Pretending to be my lawyer now," Conrad laughed falsely, knowing full well that things had just gotten even worse for him.

"I should just kill you. No one likes you; it isn't like I ever did. You were always a pain in the side." Henry sat across from him, using ever mental trick to not just rip the man's head off.

"This is because I hurt your mortal isn't it…I am not sure why you hang out with her, they are just prey." Conrad faked a grin. He didn't really believe that.

Henry was about to just kill the man, when the door opened. A bewildered detective looked sheepishly at them. "I always do that, wrong room, sorry." The mortal ducked back into the hall.

Henry waited a beat, and then shoved Conrad hard, almost causing him to go through the wall. He didn't feel like some other stupid mortal coming in and ruining the fun. Henry walked out. Revenge might be sweeter if he waited to take him out. Also, maybe it wasn't his place to take Conrad out, he was sure the list was a mile long, just in this building.


	6. Chapter 3 section a

I like a look of Agony,/ Because I know it's true Emily Dickenson // I like a look of Agony

It had been three days since Dylan and Molly's deaths, and Vicki found herself standing before Henry's door. She hadn't done a case since Vicktor Conrad had disappeared from her office. Mike still wasn't answering her calls, and she'd been ignoring both Henry and Coreen. Vicki couldn't take the self imposed isolation. After a day of not talking to anyone, not even her mother who kept calling, Vicki felt nervous as she stood before Henry's door almost as if she was going on a first date.

She took a deep breath, and lifted up her hand to knock on the door, but the door was opened before she could. Stupid Vampire with their ultra sonic hearing, so they could truly embarrass her more, she grumbled mentally.

"I like a look of Agony. Because I know it's true." He smirked at her, as he leaned against the door frame.

"So, your old hunting buddy escapes from police custody, and you are quoting Dickenson at me, great one." She tilted her head to look at him. Why did he have to read her those Emily Dickenson poems a few weeks ago, and now she had just managed to get them out of her head, he managed with one statement to put them right back.

Henry chuckled, "I figured it would get some of your biting sarcasm back. One, he wasn't really my hunting buddy, and two I had nothing to do with his escaping, he conned some rookie working a triple shift to let him out."

Vicki frowned deeply. "I know. I have just been trying to figure out for the last day how to find him. I've gone through all the vampire books, and searched all the places I could think of around town, and am getting nothing." Vicki sighed deeply.

"Why don't you have Coreen help you, or were you ignoring her, as well?" Henry moved away from the door frame so she could enter his apartment. She looked uncomfortable standing in the hallway.

She came into the department her head down, a defeatist attitude coursing through her body. "I've been trying to do things myself." She had hoped that by finding Conrad and staking him that she could make things up to Mike. She had to do whatever she could to make things up to him.

Henry closed the door behind her. He doesn't say anything as she walked around the well-furnished room, passing the two sofas and going across the room to the fireplace. She picked up the sword that hung above the fireplace, rubbing her hands along the cold steel.

She put the sword back, turning back to him. "I don't know what to do, especially since Dave told me that I was requested to stay away from the funeral."

What Vicki didn't know was that Molly had requested she not attend, almost two years ago, when Mike and Vicki had been having an affair. Molly had always meant to change it because it had been done out of spite but she always put it off, thinking that she would have many years to change it.

---  
Two nights ago

Vicktor Conrad had to only wait five minutes after Henry had left before a rookie officer came to see if he needed anything. He knew he had to act now, because if he didn't he was liable to be killed. Conrad watched the young man for a few minutes before the young man made the mistake of looking into his eyes. The pupils of Conrad's eyes grew bigger, and he said very Jedi-like. "They are holding me against my will."

The officer looked confused for a second, and found himself uncuffing Conrad. His mind was telling him that he was going to get in trouble, but the man's eyes were telling him he wasn't going to.

Conrad grabbed the man quickly, plunging his teeth into the man. He quickly drained the officer of blood, before handcuffing him to the table. He fled out of the police station, being glad the only vampire trick he had managed to master well was hypnotism.

---  
Mike Celluci sat behind his government issued desk. He thought he could try to get some work done, but he hadn't been able to open a file or put anything on the clear plastic board the hour he had been sitting there. Even the coffee, he had poured had just set on the edge of the table growing ice cold.

Dave Graham worked on a case a few feet away from him at his own desk. He put the pen down, and walked over to Mike's desk, and sat down in the chair to the left of it. He frowned at his friend, who looked disheveled and his chin stubble seemed like it had been untouched for three weeks. Dave didn't even think that Mike had noticed that his suit didn't match, and his tie was laying limp around his neck.

Dave rebuttoned his black jacket. He waited a full two minutes, before saying, "Why don't you go home, we can get things done without you?"

Mike blinked hard. He had just realized that Dave had sat down beside him. "I'm behind on a lot of my cases." He said mechanically.

"That may be true but you have been staring off into space for an hour. Everything will be here when you get back, or it can be reassigned to someone else. "Dave stood up, where he was standing over Mike.

Mike sighed deeply; he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He had always thought that work was a cure for any hard ships in life. With his whole world seeming to be crashing down around him, it disappointed him more that this belief wasn't true all the time. It was the last thing that he had been holding on to that was keeping him sane at the moment.

His mind tried to calmly tell him he was okay, that there was nothing wrong with experiencing his grief. How could he expect to get back to work on gruesome homicides when people he loved had died?

When Dave repeated, "Go Home," in his calm brotherly manner, it reassured Mike even more. Dave patted Mike's shoulder.

Mike nodded. "Maybe after the funeral I will be able to come in." His voice was numb, and had a tone as if he himself didn't believe that.

Dave gave Mike a hug. "I'm sure the boss lady is going to tell you what I am going to tell you. Take as much time as you need," He wasn't really sure Mike should be trying to work when he wasn't ready. "In the meantime, you should at least try to get something to eat, and get some sleep."


	7. Chapter 3 Section B

I like a look of Agony,/ Because I know it's true Emily Dickenson // I like a look of Agony

100 years ago in a small town in England, Henry Fitzroy sat in his small house. It had been several decades since he had been back to his home soil, and the air still smelled the same. The smell made Henry glad, and it made him feel like he was really coming home, even there was obviously no way that the life he knew in England at 17 could be reclaimed. Too much had happened in the world for that to happen.

Henry had set himself up as painter in the small village, and with that people generally left him alone. So, while he was in the middle of a large portrait of his sire, he was surprised to hear a knock on his door. He could tell by the smell drifting to his nose, that is was another vampire. He was not too happy with this, and he was hoping he wasn't going to have to fight right now.

Henry grumbled as he put down his brush, and went to the door. He opened it to find a sad looking young man with intense green eyes. The man looked lost, and Henry felt like punishing him now for coming into his territory.

The man smiled a sad sort of smile, "Hi, you are new to the community aren't you?" He looked down instantly after he had said it, as if speaking the words aloud had taken all his courage away.

Henry glared at him for a moment, wondering if this was one of the vampires that acted demur first, but would attack you with vengeance. He blinked his eyes deliberately for a second, like a cat regarding his prey. "Can I help you?" Henry arched his eyebrows, and blinked his eyes again deliberately.

The man smiled like a servant, showing his longer canines. "I think so," He said softly and unassertively.

With that one move, Henry knew the man was no threat. He slammed the door. He went back to painting, hoping the inferior vampire would go away.

There was a softer knock on the door, and the other vampire pushed the door open very cautiously, and slowly. "I wanted to meet you, you seemed like a person who could teach me a lot of things."

Henry threw down his paint brush. "You are pathetic, I should kill you. Didn't your sire teach you anything?"

The man frowned. "My sire didn't teach me anything….I am sorry, please don't kill me, I'll stay out of your way." The vampire fled Henry's house quickly.

---  
Present Day

Henry opened the door of the small apartment, one of the detectives of the Metropolis police was behind him.

Vicktor Conrad was sitting at a computer. He turned around, and seemed shocked to see Henry and the detective. He knew Henry would probably find him, he didn't know that Henry had made an agreement with Vicki that Mike would get the first shot at killing Conrad, even if that meant by way of the detectives. It had pained Henry to make the decision, but he knew that she was right on this. If Vicki or Henry killed Conrad, without letting Mike in on it, or letting the police handle it, Mike would never forgive them. 

Conrad didn't say anything; he just went with the detective. It was his own fate that the vampire Elise had never taught him anything, and no other vampire would. His obsessive behavior towards humans had also kept him from learning a lot of stuff on his own. The only reason he was so good at hypnotism was the fact that one of his male 'suitors' had been a master of the craft.  
---  
Vicki sat at her desk examining tattoos that she had gotten from a demon several months back. Coreen sat in one of the wooden chairs in front of Vicki's desk, reading a book on Norse mythology.

"I can't believe you let Henry go by himself to pick up Conrad." Coreen flipped the page, not looking up at her boss.

"We agreed to let the police or Mike handle this. And I really am not in the mood to see Vicktor Conrad's smug face at the moment, because then I would forget the agreement." She put her wrist down; she knew it hadn't changed any. In the beginning, she would imagine that they were slowly disappearing, but that was just an illusion. They probably weren't going to go away anytime soon. At times she hated them, but at times she cherished them because they reminded her of Henry in a peculiar way.

Vicki hated the fact that though she liked Henry, she also liked Mike. There was something about each of the guys that she was attracted to. If she could have her way, she would just have a relationship with them both, but her mind was telling her the universe would find a way to make her pick one over the other. Did she want a life of mortal beings and law, or a life of supernatural beings and surprises?

Vicki was glad she was distracted from the decision by the ringing of the phone. She had a short conversation, and then hung up the phone. "They picked Conrad up, and he is back in custody."

---  
Henry crossed his legs, as he sat down on the green couch. Mike sat across the room in the leather chair, sipping from the mug of cocoa that Henry had just made for him. Henry had been surprised when the detective had let him in, but considering the funeral had been today, and the detective had probably been grieving by himself for several days, the mortal was probably in need of contact with the outside world. Henry wasn't going to argue with that. He was going to ask Vicki if she wanted to come with him, but that might be too much tension for the detective. He had hoped his presence would be seen as a stranger Mike could talk to in this crisis, since neither male knew that much about each other.

"When was the last time you ate?" Henry asked concerned.

Mike shrugged, as he set the mug of the end table next to him. He hadn't felt like having a fight when Henry Fitzroy had appeared at his door with groceries.

"I'll fix you something to eat then."

"I am not hungry, plus how do I know you aren't trying to poison me?" Mike's voice was weak, and his heart wasn't completely in the joke.

Henry noticed this, and didn't say anything. He got up, and went into the kitchen, hearing Mike's bare feet following behind him. The vampire actually had a weird fondness for the detective, and he was glad without Vicki as a barrier they were getting along. He hoped that maybe this would last after the detective went through his grief process.

Mike sat on the barstool at the island in the center of the kitchen. He had brought his cocoa with him. He watched Henry as he went through the cabinets, pulling out some of the things that he had brought earlier.

Henry put the large wok, he had brought, on the stove. He pulled in a little oil, and turned on the front burner. "I know you and Vicki like Chinese food. So, that is what I am going to make you."

"Let me guess you lived in China for awhile?" Mike took a sip of cocoa. "Are you going to make me authentic Chinese then?"

Henry only nodded, and began to chop up a large piece of steak into strips. "I did live there for awhile," He chuckled. "What I am going to make is probably more like American Chop Suey, than authentic Chinese but I think you will like it." He threw the strips of steak into the wok. He opened a package of shrimp, and began to process them so he could cook them.

"Can I ask you something?" Mike asked.

Henry began to chop up some vegetables. "Sure."

"I am sure you have experienced a lot of deaths of people you love," Mike paused for a moment as if wondering if he should continue. "How do you handle it where you don't end up shut in your own mind?"


	8. Chapter 3, Section C

If I could only die that way, I'd say goodbye to the business of living. Petronius // Good God, What a Night That Was

The punching bag went across the room as Vicki kicked it. She had nothing to do right now, because Coreen was doing some research on the case she had just accepted, and Vicki wouldn't know her next move until Coreen came back.

Vicki wasn't even sure why she had accepted the case; she really wasn't in the mood for working. She had actually been thinking of taking a vacation when a young man came into her office and told her that he thought his sister was being seduced by an incubus.

She had only really taken the case, because Coreen thought that it sounded interesting. So, she had decided Coreen could do most of the groundwork.

Vicki kicked the bag again, but instead of flying far it only flew a few centimeters.

Henry had come into the room, and grabbed it. The vampire gave her a smirk. "I thought you had a case to work on." He let the bag come back towards her.

Vicki glared at him. She had asked him to help her with her new case, but he said he had some business to attend to. "Did you have fun with your business?" She punched the bag, trying to deliberately hit him in the chest with it, but he caught it. "And anyway, Coreen is doing some research on the case before I do anything."

Henry walked to the couch, and sat down gracefully. He was worried what her reaction would be if he told her what he had been doing.

She took her gloves off, and walked towards him. "Are you going to answer my question?" She sat down on the couch near him. She started poking him, thinking it would irritate him enough to answer her question.

"I went to see Celluci." His voice was calm as he said it, and he waited for her to blow up over the news.

She stopped poking him, and just stared at him for a moment. She had wanted to do that since the whole thing started a few days ago, and hadn't gone again after the first time when he wouldn't talk to her. Henry somehow had ignored the first time and kept trying, she should have done that. She was a lousy friend. "How is he doing?" She asked quietly.

"He's as doing as well as can be expected." Henry was glad that she had taken it better than was expected. He tilted his head, watching her for a moment wondering what she was thinking.

---  
It hadn't taken that much effort to get the cover-up of Conrad's death done. The three detectives (Dave Graham, Kate Lam, and Peter Parker) had discussed all the details several times, and done all the prep work before yanking Conrad out of his cell.

They all knew that even though they didn't really have to do it, it looked better to have everything prepared, for the public's sake. The department would have let them torture Conrad if need be, and look the other way, as no one was allowed in their minds to get away from hurting cops or their families.

What really happened went as followed. They had found three pair of sunglasses, so that when they entered the windowless cell of Conrad none of them would look in his eyes, and be thrown off course. They forced Conrad to sign a full confession first, and then they took him out side to roast in the sunlight.

What they told anyone who asked, they took Conrad to an interrogation room. He was cooperating for awhile, and even signed a full confession.

But something afterwards, he charged Kate. Peter had grabbed him before he could, but Conrad grabbed Peter's gun, and held it against Peter's head, threatening to kill him. 

Dave and Kate asked Conrad to put the gun down, several times. He refused, and pretending to put his hand on the trigger to shoot Peter, instead he had taken him outside.  
Dave and Kate had followed closely behind them, even clipping Conrad twice with their weapons. A few feet after he had gotten past the emergency exit, Conrad had suddenly dropped Peter and his gun.

They chased Conrad for awhile down the street, but he ran into a burning building. (They had checked and made sure that a building was burning, and included the exact location in their report, and even had a fireman who was explained the situation, cover for them.)

---  
Dave was nervous as he stood outside Celluci's door. The detective wanted to be the one to break the news to his partner, Kate and Peter had agreed. Dave was a bit relieved to find Celluci seemed to be in better spirits, and didn't slam the door in Dave's face. They both set on the couch, leaving a seat between them. They set the box of donuts that Dave had brought with him in that seat.

Celluci listened to him calmly as Dave explained what had happened, and what they told people had happened. Celluci sat quietly for a long time listening to his partner, and friend, and Dave almost was expecting the worse when Celluci finally said something.

"Thank you." Celluci said his voice quieter than usual. He was glad that his police station friends were willing to do whatever it took to avenge the death of his family. Mike wasn't sure what else to say, the best thing he thought was just to say Thank You. He had no other words, because he was experiencing so many emotions at the moment.

"You're welcome," Dave said, patting Celluci's knee. He took another bite of his donut, getting a bit of powder sugar on his shirt.

They sat in silence for awhile, enjoying the donuts. They didn't need to talk though.


	9. Final

When she doesn't respond, I know/ she's used up all her words/ so I slowly whisper I love you/thirty-two and a third times. Jeffery McDaniel // The Quiet World

It was only 3am, but Henry decided to turn down the curtains of his apartment. He wasn't sure if he would have time later to do it. He had let Vicki come home with him, because she needed the company. After being on her own for a few days, he figured the company would help her with her grieving process.

He had left her in the living room, as he turned down the curtains, assuming that she would be okay by herself for a few seconds. As he heard soft sobs coming from the living room, he realized that maybe it was a bad idea to leave her to her own devices.

Henry walked back into the living room. He sat down next to her on the couch. "Vicki," He whispered softly. He wasn't sure if she heard him, and forced himself to wait before he said anything. She looked up at him sadly, and he knew she didn't need to say anything. Her sadness was written all over her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to his chest.

For once in her life, she decided not to be tough, and didn't fight him. She laid her head against his chest, and let herself accept his comfort.

"I love you," He found himself whispering as he kissed her hair. He had never actually said it to her before, and found himself wondering if it was the right thing to say. He did love her in his own little way. He had realized in the last few months that he couldn't live without Vicki, or Mike.  
---  
100 Years ago

For some reason instead of just ending his miserable existence, Conrad had taken to following Henry when ever he went out. The pathetic shell of a vampire obviously didn't realize that the world would probably be better off without him.

It was really starting to piss Henry off. Two weeks in, instead of going to visit the string of lovelies he fed from, he headed off in the direction of the woods. Henry climbed in a tree, knowing that Conrad was probably a few hundred feet behind him. He closed his eyes, and waited, as he listening to the sounds of the forest.

He was relieved that he only had to wait a few minutes. As he heard Conrad come into the woods, he sprang down from the tree, tackling Conrad to the ground.

Conrad squirmed and tried to get away. He started to whimper as Henry picked him up roughly, and threw him hard against a tree. Henry growled at Conrad. "You are starting to be a nuisance." Henry bared his fangs.

Conrad started to cry, the blood tears leaving trails down his face. "Please don't kill me," He whimpered. He was starting to fall in love with Henry, and he didn't want him to kill him. He wanted to spend his life with Henry.

Henry was sure if the weakling had been human, he would have already wet his pants by now. "Why should I spare your life?" He growled.

Conrad didn't say anything just whimpered. He reached into a pouch on his side, and threw a green glass bottle down. It exploded causing a wave of green smoke to form upwards. Conrad pushed Henry, and took off running into the forest. His heart sunk as he knew that he would never be allowed to come back to the village, for some reason his beloved was mad at him and didn't want him in his life.

Henry vowed next time he saw Conrad around the village he would kill him. He never saw Conrad in the village again.  
---  
Vicki let herself cry, feeling secure in Henry's arms. She moved her head a little, staring up into his beautiful face. She wasn't sure if now was the time to do what she was thinking, but she stretched her neck up a little, so she could kiss him softly on the lips.

He pulled away for a second. "Are you sure this is the right thing?" Although they had slept together before, he didn't want her to do anything that she was going to regret in the morning.

She didn't say anything, just kissed him softly on the lips. He kissed her back, deepening the kiss. He figured that the kiss was her answer, though he really hoped she hadn't decided to be impulsive. 

She moved to a laying position, so that he was on top of her. Her blond hair spread on the back of the couch, and his fingers roaming through her hair as they continued to kiss. She wasn't sure why but she needed this more than she had ever needed sex before. Her fingers went to his shirt greedily, unbuttoning each button. She almost managed to rip all the buttons off his shirt in the process.

---

The next night, the stars were starting to appear brightly in the sky, as Henry and Vicki walked carefully through the cemetery. When they entered the gate, Vicki had taken Henry's hand, but as they got close to the two gleaming white headstones, Henry dropped her hand.

Mike Celluci sat between the ends of the two gravesites, in a strip of grass between plots. 

Vicki sat on one side of Celluci, and Henry thought it best to remain neutral and sat on the other side of Celluci. Henry had decided he would let Vicki say whatever she needed to say to Mike without interrupting. He had mainly come to be her sight in the cemetery.

"Hey," Mike said softly to both of them, his eyes still reading the headstones that he had already memorized.

"Sorry, I didn't come to the ceremony the other day. I wanted to respect your wishes. I figured you still couldn't be mad at me after Conrad's death." Vicki hoped the words didn't sound stupid; her mind was flooding with a hundred things to say to him. She had missed him so much over the last few days. She tentatively touched his shoulder, hoping not to experience the legendary Celluci anger.

He gave her a soft hug. "I know you wanted to come."

She hugged him back, unsure what to say.

He found himself chuckling a little as he pulled away. "Molly was the one who requested it. She did that right after the affair, she figured she would have time to change it later, but obviously she never got a chance to. I'm sorry."

Vicki's mouth formed an O, the word not escaping from her lips. She took a deep breath. "I guess I should be glad you weren't mad at me."

"I was mad at you both, but I am not anymore." He stood up, his mind telling him to stop hanging around the cemetery any longer. "Why don't we get out of here?" He suggested, giving them both a half smile. It was the best he could muster with the mix of feelings still in his body.

Henry stood up as well. He touched Mike's shoulder. "We could go watch a movie."

"Sounds like a good idea." Mike helped Vicki stand, and they headed out of the cemetery.


End file.
